INSIDE THE RED ZONE Reconsidering The Global Missions Paradigm

BASIC PREMISE: God Wants To Flood The World With Blessing Through C&MA Churches. We Will Best Do That As We Adopt A 21 st Century Global Mission Paradigm.

The Great Commission Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit… -- Jesus Christ

The Great Motivation And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (ethnoi), and then the end will come. -- Jesus Christ

Two Millennia of Evangelizing

The World’s Peoples and Their Discipling Majority Christian Missiological Breakthrough Pioneer Ministries The Least Reached

Evangelicals

Although many peoples are still unreached, the number is only a fraction of that of 100 years ago. The goal is attainable in our generation -- if we mobilize prayer and effort and work together to disciple the remaining least reached peoples. --Patrick Johnstone

It Is Late in the 4 th Quarter, and We Are INSIDE THE RED ZONE

THE RED ZONE is The 10 – 40 Window

The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians in the world. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees North of the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China.

97% of People in the Least Evangelized Countries Live in the 10/40 Window Least Evangelized Nations in the Window

Religions of the Window MuslimHinduBuddhist Buddhist, Folk Religions, AtheistBuddhist, Shinto

The Great Challenge The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10:2

Reconsidering The Global Missions Paradigm What Is God Saying to His Church?

Definitions (for this discussion) First World = Western sending nations aided by advanced economy and technology Second World = Nations that have received first world missionaries, and where the Church has been planted Third World = Under-reached and unreached nations

The Old and the New Paradigms 18 th -20 th Centuries Missionaries from First World churches and agencies go to Second and Third World nations to evangelize, disciple and plant churches 21 st Century Missionaries from Second World churches go to Third World nations, and may be supported by First World churches

The Story of Hillside Church (Armonk, NY) Ministering with the Lince C&MA Church (Lima, Peru) in Cuba – Dr. Lars Wilhelmsson

Why the New Paradigm is Desirable and Effective The Second World Church is ready and motivated Access to the most needy areas is limited or denied to First World missionaries Third World peoples have greater affinity with Second World peoples

Response at the Tenth Annual Missions Congress at the Lince Church May 6-11, 2002

Converging Factors Decline of First World Candidate Pool Readiness of Second World Disciples Boomer mentality: Personal involvement Relationships Anti-denominationalism Global village

A Few Implications for First World Christians In the 21 st century ALL ministry is cross- cultural The global disciple-hood must work collegially Overseas there is still ample opportunity and need for nearly all kinds of ministry from first world missionaries.

A Few Implications for First World Christians The greatest need will be for teachers / trainers to prepare church leaders and 2 nd world missionaries While having abundant resources, the 1 st world church needs to be careful not to use its money to control agendas Missionaries from NA must learn from and adapt to the world view and cultural differences of international colleagues

Evangelize Our World Inquiry Dr. Luis Bush; Lausanne; Fuller Inquiries in South Africa and China Opportunity for The C&MA

Where Do We Go From Here? Is the new paradigm realistic? Is changing the paradigm possible? What are the implications for how we teach and motivate? What can / should we do to encourage the new paradigm?

Where Do We Go From Here? How can a local C&MA church participate in the new paradigm? Might God lay a particular nation or people group on our heart? Would your church be open to the ministry of 2 nd and 3 rd world Christians? Will our GCF giving reflect God’s priorities and heart?